Thursday, June 22, 2017

Dynamo Kyiv All-Time Team

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for the club. The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.

Since 1936, Dynamo Kyiv has spent its entire history in the top league of Soviet and later Ukrainian football. Its most successful periods are associated with Valeriy Lobanovskyi, who coached the team during three stints, leading them to numerous domestic and European titles. The club became the only in Soviet football that managed to overcome the total hegemony of Moscow-based clubs in the Soviet Top League. It is the first Soviet football club that started to participate in the UEFA European competitions since 1965. It won 2 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups. Along with Dinamo Tbilisi, they were the only two Soviet clubs that succeeded in the UEFA competitions. The first team of Dynamo became a base team for the Soviet Union national football team in the 1970–1980s and the Ukraine national football team in the 1990–2000s.

1986 Cup Winners' Cup

TeamGK: Yevhen Rudakov (Soviet Union/Russia)He was an ethnic Russian born in Moscow. His career was associated with Dynamo Kyiv where he is regarded as their greatest keeper. He became the first foreigner to win Ukraine's Player of the Year in 1971. He also represented the USSR 42 times and helped them reach the Euro 1972 finals.

Yevhen Rudakov

GK: Oleh Makarov (Soviet Union)He played for Dynamo Kyiv from 1948 to 1953. He was voted as the second best keeper on the Ukraine Team of the Century after Yevhen Rudakov. He was capped once for the USSR.

GK: Oleksandr Shovkovskiy (Ukraine)He was capped 92 times between 1994 and 2012. He was the first-choice keeper for Ukraine at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and teh Euro 2012. He won the penalty shootout against Switzerland in the round of 16. He spent his entire career with Dynamo Kyiv.

RB: Vladimir Bessonov (Soviet Union)He won 79 caps and scored 4 goals for the Soviet Union from 1977 to 1990. He went to the WC Finals in 1982, 1986 and 1990. He was one of the best fullbacks in Soviet football history.

Vladimir Bessonov

CB/RB: Oleh Luzhnyi (Soviet Union)He played for the USSR before the collapse of the Soviet Union. He played 59 times for Ukraine and captained them for 39 times. He was a key defender during Dynamo Kyiv's run the Champions' League during the 1990's.

CB: Mykhaylo Fomenko (Soviet Union)He was capped 24 times by the Soviet Union. He was voted into the Ukrainian Team of the Century in 2000. He won the 1975 Cup Winners' Cup with Dynamo Kyiv.

CB: Anatoliy Konkov (Soviet Union)He was best remembered for winning the 1975 Cup Winners' Cup with Dynamo Kyiv. He was capped 47 times for the Soviet Union.

SW: Sergei Baltacha (Soviet Union)He won the 1975 Cup Winners' Cup with Dynamo Kyiv. He played in the 1982 for Soviet Union and then, on the runner-up team at Euro 1988.CB: Oleg Kuznetsov (USSR/CIS/Ukraine)He was capped by the USSR, the CIS and Ukraine. He was a star defender for the Soviet Union in the late 1980's. He helped them to reach the Final of the Euro 1988. He also played in the WC Finals in 1986 and 1990, and then, for CIS in the Euro 1992. LB: Anatoliy Demyanenko (Soviet Union)He was a longtime Dynamo Kyiv captain and a prolific left wingback for the Soviet Union. He played in three WC Finals(1982, 1986 and 1990) and reached the Final of Euro 1988. In 2000, he was voted the 3rd best player in the Ukrainian 'Team of the Century".DM: Vasyl Turyanchyk (Soviet Union) He spent most of his career in Kiev Dynamo from 1959 to 1969. Between 1965 and 1969, he was the team captain. He was Ukrainian Footballer of the Year: 1967, 1968 (shared).

Vasyl Turyanchyk

DM: Vasyl Rats(Soviet Union)He was born born in Ukraine of Hungarian ethnicity). He scored the winning goal in the 1-0 victory against Holland in the first round of Euro 1988, but Holland went on to beat the Soviet Union in the rematch in the Final. He was capped 47 times for the Soviet Union. He participated at the WC Finals in 1986 and 1990.RW: Hennadiy Lytovchenko (Soviet Union)

He was the Soviet Player of the Year in 1984. He was capped by the USSR for 58 times and by Ukraine for 4 times. He was a star player at Euro 1988. The highlights of his club career were played in FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Dynamo Kyiv and Olympiacos F.C.CM: Volodymyr Muntyan (Soviet Union)He was born in Ukraine of Romanian ethnicity. He played his entire career with Dynamo Kyiv. He won the 1975 Cup Winners' Cup with Dynamo Kyiv. He played 49 times for the Soviet Union.

Volodymyr Muntyan

AM: Oleksandr Zavarov (Soviet Union)He helped Dynamo Kyiv in winning the Cup Winners' Cup in 1985-1986. He finished as the top scorer of the tournament and won the Soviet player of the Year award that year. He had 41 caps for the USSR, scoring six goals including two in the World Cup finals in 1986 and 1990. He also played in the Euro 1988 in which the USSR team were runners-up.

He was capped 36 for the USSR and 5 times for CIS. He was a part of the Soviet squad that finished second at Euro 88. He became the Soviet Player of the Year in 1988 after the tournament. He was also capped twice by Ukraine. He became one of the first Soviet player to play successfully aboard when he joined Sampdoria and then, Rangers in the 1990's.

He earned 44 caps for the USSR national football team, and participated in UEFA Euro 1972, and won two Olympic bronze medals. He won the 1975 Cup Winners' Cup with Dynamo Kyiv.

AM/CM: Leonid Buryak (Soviet Union)He was born in Ukraine of Jewish ethnicity. He was one of Dynamo Kyiv's greatest players. He was capped 49 times for the USSR. He won a bronze medal at the 1976 Olympics and went to the WC Finals in 1982.

Leonid Buryak

FW: Valeriy Lobanovskyi (Soviet Union)Probably best remembered as the coach that put both Soviet Union and Ukraine on the map. As a player, he was considered to be Dynamo Kyiv's greatest player. He was most famous for his legendary ability to score from corner kicks. He was capped twice.

SS: Igor Belanov (Soviet Union)He made a name for himself at Dynamo Kyiv, winning five major titles and being named European Footballer of the Year in 1986. He played for the Soviet Union at the WC Finals in 1986, where he was one of the star players. He is considered one of the greatest Ukrainian player in history.

Igor Belanov

SS: Oleg Blokhin (Soviet Union)He was probably the greatest outfielder in Soviet history. He was the European Player of the Year in 1975. He holds the all-time top goalscorer record for both Dynamo Kyiv (266 goals) and the Soviet Union national team (42 goals), as well as being the overall top goalscorer in the history of the Soviet Top League (211 goals). He is also the only player to have been capped over 100 times for the Soviet Union and holds Dynamo's appearance record with 582 appearances during his 18 year spell at the club.

Oleg Blokhin

ST: Oleh Protasov (Soviet Union)He was named Soviet Footballer of the Year in 1987. He scored 125 goals in the Soviet Championship, making him the 8th best scorer of all-time of the Championship.He played for the Soviet Union 68 times, including at the 1986 and 1990 FIFA World Cups, as well as Euro 88, where he scored two goals. He played for Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Dynamo Kyiv, Olympiacos Piraeus, Gamba Osaka, Veria FC, and finally Proodeftiki FC.ST:Maksim Shatskikh (Uzbekistan)He is a Uzbek international of Russian origin. He played for Dynamo Kyiv from 1999 to 2009. He is the all-time scorer of the Ukrainian Premier League with 124 goal. He played in three AFC Asian Cups for Uzbekistan, helping them to fourth place in 2011.

Maksim Shatskikh

ST: Serhiy Rebrov (Ukraine)He gained international fame as an attacking partner of Andriy Shevchenko at Dynamo Kyiv throughout the 1990s. He also played in England and Turkey. He was capped 75 times by Ukraine, scoring 15 goals. He played in the nation's first ever World Cup, in 2006.ST: Andrei Shevchenko (Ukraine)He is considered one of the greatest Ukrainian player in history. He won the Ballon D'Or in 2004 and came 3rd on the World Player of the Year. He was best remembered for his stint with AC Milan, winning the Champions' League in 2003. He won 111 caps and scored 48 goals for the Ukraine.

Andrei Shevchenko

Honorable MentionYuriy Voynov, Volodymyr Veremeyev, Anatoliy Byshovets, Valyantsin Byalkevich, Viktor Serebryanikov, Andriy Biba, Andriy Yarmolenko, Viktor Kanevskyi, Oleh Husyev, VladyslavVashchuk, Artem Milevskiy.Sqaud Explanation -- I selected the older players when both the Soviets and Dynamo Kyiv were a force in European football.-- Nineteen of out 23 players from my Ukraine All-Time team made it to this team. Viktor Bannikov and Andriy Biba were made the "Honorable Mention". Only two other players from my Ukraine All-Time did not play for this club.-- Maksim Shatskikh, Vasyl Rats, Volodymyr Muntyan, Leonid Buryak, Vasyl Turyanchyk and Yevhen Rudakov were the six players not on my Ukraine All-Time Team making this team. Except for Vasyl Turyanchy, they were not of Ukrainian ethnicity.-- Maksim Shatskikh (Uzbekistan)is the all-time scorer of the Ukrainian Premier League with 124 goal. -- It is difficult for rightback Oleh Husyev to get ahead two great players ahead of him.-- Vasyl Turyanchyk was one of the first ever holding midfielder in the world. Biba who used to play in front him deserved to be on this team. He was described as one of Soviet Union's best playmaker, but I have selected players with better international experience. He only got one cap to his credit. Volodymyr Muntyan, Leonid Buryak and Oleksandr Zavarov were chosen ahead of him. I toyed with the idea of dropping Valeriy Lobanovskyi, but his name had been associated more than any person in history.

Formation I: 4-1-3-2

I
based this lineup on the 4-3-2 formation used by Valeriy Lobanovskyi on
at the 1986 Cup-Winners' Cup Final. In order to bring Shenvchenko to
the team, I pushed Blokhin to the midfield on the left.